I Remember

A/N: Okay, before we begin I would just like to put a big warning up here - JESSIE AND JAMES ARE WAY OOC!!! I refuse to be flamed so don't bother. Yes, I am aware that James would never act like this at all but I wanted to do something different and I haven't read one of these before, so I figured I'd try writing one.well, here goes.

I remember the days without the darkness towering over me.

I remember you not hating me.

I remember the days when I could've sworn that you loved me.

I remember when you swore you'd never hurt me.

But what I can't understand

Is why I remember you throwing it all in my face.

Jessie sighed and scooted away from her computer in her chair. She looked at the poem, quickly wrote it down, and deleted it. James could never know. Looking out at the window she saw the steely grey sky. Once pink with the light of the sunset, it was nowhere near as glorious but still beautiful.

A loud stomping from the opposite end of the house could be heard. Stealing one last glance out of the window, Jessie scurried away into her room. Again she looked out at the window at the beautiful, yet faded clouds. It reminded her of her love for James. She used to be so sure that he loved her and that both of them were to shy to ever tell the other; that was like the sunset. Only now she knew that he actually hated her all this time yet she still loved him; that was like the sky now. The color had faded and yet the sky still had its beautiful form. Just as she still loved James as deeply as ever.

"JESSIE!" A scream rang out from the room next to hers. Not wanting to get herself in trouble, she came as quickly as possible

"Y-Yes.?" she asked sheepishly from the doorway.

"Where's dinner?" he asked angrily. Shit. She'd forgotten all about it, she was so busy with other chores and her poem that she'd forgotten cooking all together.

"I..I.I f-forgot. I was s-so busy with cleaning the house and doing your laundry and things.th-there just wasn't time!" she stated franticly. Slowly, James stood from where he was sitting. Jessie suddenly felt very small and afraid, knowing what was about to happen.

***

The next day Jessie awoke early and met with a close friend, Hayley, as she did every morning for coffee.

"Why won't you tell me what's happening in that house of yours?" Hayley questioned, her face slightly hidden by her cup of coffee. Jessie glanced at her reflection in the window. She had a black eye..again. "Jessie, every time one part of you heals, another part gets hurt," Jessie opened her mouth to give her usual excuse when Hayley cut her off. "And I REFUSE to believe that you get into random street fights at least five times a week, Jessie what is going ON?" Hayley gazed at her with deep concern in her blue eyes.

Jessie looked at her watch. "I...I have to go." And with that she gathered her things and left Hayley to ponder over a cup of cooling cappuccino.

***

All you remember is hitting me.

All you remember is hating me.

All you remember is hurting me.

All you remember is killing me.

But what you don't understand

Is why you remember me loving you just the same.

Jessie finished her addition to the poem and set her notebook aside. She was determined not to miss dinner this time. She would make it extra elaborate and beautiful and the whole house would be spotless. His laundry would be done perfectly, ironed, pressed, and neatly folded in his dresser drawers. Maybe he would even say thank you this time. Alas, things went terribly wrong.

James came home from work in an annoyed state. "Dinner's on the table," Jessie informed him. The table was filled with all kinds of elaborate dishes of food, a carefully complied mix of James' favorites. It was a feast fit for a king. However, James just walked on by and into his bed room.

Jessie stood in the door way, her eye was still black from the previous night, looking nervous and biting her lower lip. "I'm going out." he said in an emotionless tone.

"B-But. you said to make dinner!" she protested.

"I don't care what I said, I'm going out!" he half yelled as he continued tying his tie.

"God damn you, you bastard!" Jessie screamed in a hurt tone. James followed her into the kitchen where she proceeded to throw and smash anything she could get her hands on. When she'd finished, she sunk to the floor and hugged her knees, her head bowed.

"Now clean it up, bitch!" James screamed from the doorway.

"No!" Jessie tried to run out the other doorway but James stopped her and grabbed hold of her.

"I didn't want to have to do this a second time." He slapped her hard across the face and when she stopped protesting his grip, he dragged her to the bedroom and tied her hands behind her back as well as her ankles. "Kneel" he told her. She did as she was told, kneeling with her back straight, head held high.

James whipped her repeatedly with his leather belt, hard with all his strength. But Jessie did not cry out. She did not falter, nor did she cry. She was too proud for that. So she knelt, still perfectly straight and still with her head held high. Jessie had not lost of her pride.

Finally, James stopped and continued getting dressed. Jessie wiggled out of the ropes binding her and stood to leave. "Where are you going?" James asked.

"Away..just away.please leave me alone." She said on the verge of tears.

"You're not going anywhere." he came at her with the belt again. She had been hit again.After suffering through this for five years she had had enough.

Breaking through his grip she dove for the dresser, she reached to the back of the drawer just as James gabbed her ankles, but not before her hand clamped down on the cold metal of the gun.

James released her and looked at her. She stared at him, aiming the gun at his chest. She was shaking and had tears in her eyes. Suddenly he smirked. "I know you won't do it.you can't do it," he said while calmly folding his arms. Two shots rang out and then the house fell silent.

How long had she endured this? To think she had endured this for five years and it all ended so simply.she called an ambulance, saying that her husband has been shot. And then left. On her way, she glanced at the calendar..4th of July, Independence Day.

About fifty miles away from her home, Jessie stood in an open field and watched as the sky was brightly decorated with beautiful flowers of fire to celebrate the 4th of July. After she saw what she thought was the grand finale of the show, she turned to leave back to her car in the dark. Suddenly she heard another explosion and turned to see the very last firework.

But when she turned around, all that she could see was the ghostly shadow of the once beautiful firework. It was over. James was dead..and she knew it.

THE END